Comedy Central Preps Reality Competition Series

NEW YORK, July 3: Comedian
Michael Ian Black has signed on to host Comedy Central’s first unscripted
competition series, Reality Bites Back, which satirizes well-known reality programs such as American Idol, Survivor and The Biggest Loser.

Launching on Comedy
Central on July 17 at 10:30 p.m., the series will feature ten
comedians—Kyle Cease, Chris Fairbanks, Jeff Garcia, Red Grant, Tiffany
Haddish, Bert Kreischer, Mo Mandel, Donnell Rawlings, Amy Schumer and Theo
Von—competing in weekly parodies of some of the most notorious reality
shows. The winner will be named Lord of All Reality and receive a $50,000 cash
prize.

Parodies include
“Almost-American Gladiators,” where contestants must fight off fictional Border
Patrol Agents, poking fun at the immigrant experience; “Hunting with the
Stars,” featuring the comedians stalking down and pretend to shoot their d-list
partners; and “So You Think You Can Dive,” which gives the participants 24
hours to become Olympians.

The Reality Bites Back page on Comedy Central’s website will feature
uncensored outtakes, cast confessionals and interviews, weekly blog entries
from the comedians and a web-only reunion show. Viewers can also go online to
watch a preview for the next week’s episode.

"It makes total sense
that the way Comedy Central would choose to get into the reality game is by
making fun of it,” said Lauren Corrao, the network’s president of original
programming and development. “The nice surprise that came out of making the
competition real is that viewers actually root for a winner."

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski